Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Friday, March 4, 2022 - This is the first time I've tasted a Zeus - another Hungarian crossing with a name starting with Z (like Zenit and Zeta). It is an early-ripening cross between Ezerjó and Bouvier and it is often used in sweeter wines as the grape often attains high must sugar levels. The biggest problem with the grapes is the difficulty in finding a suitable spot where the grape wouldn't ripen too early - in too warm locations the grape either doesn't have enough time to develop any flavor compounds if harvested at optimal ripeness, or lacks acidity if harvested too late. This wine is supposed to come from a suitable location where this early-ripening variety would have long enough growing season to develop flavor compounds without losing its acidity. Késői Szüret mean "late harvest". 10,5% alcohol.

Quite concentrated, deep and intensely-colored yellow-green appearance. The nose feels noticeably sweet with seductive, tropical-sweet aromas of dried pineapple, some lemon curd, a little bit of orange marmalade, light honeyed tones, waxy hints suggestive of botrytis and a touch of grape juice. The wine is sweet, full-bodied and slightly oily on the palate with rich flavors of beeswax and apple jam, some apple peel bitterness, a little bit of acacia honey, light pineapple tones, a hint of orange marmalade and an exotic touch of mango. Thanks to its high acidity the wine is balanced and doesn't feel sticky despite its residual sugar. The finish is juicy, sweet and slightly oily with rich, persistent flavors of fruit cocktail, some pineapple tones, a little bit of apple jam, light lemon curd tones, a hint of sweet grapey fruit and a touch of beeswax.

A lovely, tasty and balanced late harvest white that is more dessert wine than a sweet white wine. The overall feel is still very brisk, zippy and youthful, borderline nervous, yet still wonderfully accessible and enjoyable. I just get a feeling that this wine could really benefit from additional aging; now the emphasis is on the bright and almost primary fruit flavors, whereas there seems to be lots of room for further development and tertiary complexity. Can be drunk now, but most likely will reward if patiently cellared. A positive surprise and great value at 5000 HUF (~13,50€).

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